Buff-banded Rail

Coronet Bay

The Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis, (Gallirallus = ‘cock-rail’, philippensis = ‘Philippines, the origin of type species’), is mostly described as a cautious and secretive bird seen singly or in pairs. A recent visit to Coronet Bay contradicted that description a little when six individuals continued to scuttle across some bare ground beside a small, marshy, coastal lagoon at the back of the sand dunes.

Coronet Bay

Buff-bandeds can inhabit a variety of wetland types: marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers, coastal lagoons, estuaries, sewage ponds, drainage channels, even temporary inundations in paddocks, etc. There needs to be some dense grasses, rushes or reeds nearby for them to seek shelter when disturbed.

Often secretive

There seems to be some seasonal movements because the bird is seen from time to time in some locations, but not consistently so – not a lot is known about their movements in our district. Unlike other rails, the buff-banded has a tendency to wander a fair distance from a water body at times, resulting in them sometimes being referred to as land rails.

Robin Hood Reserve

Buff-banded Rails have a varied diet that includes crustaceans, molluscs, insects, seeds, fruit, frogs, other birds’ eggs, carrion and often picnic ground refuse. Mornings and evenings are usually when they are seen seeking food out in the open.

They call with a squeaky, harsh, ‘kreeek’ note, especially during the breeding season.

 

Daddy Long Legs

The well-named Daddy Long Legs spider is a common, well-known spider because it likes to live with us – in our homes, sheds, cars, etc.

There was a myth that its venom was powerful enough to kill a human if only the spider could get its fangs to penetrate our skin. Not so. The myth probably arose from the fact that Daddy Long Legs can kill Red Back spiders, a spider that can harm humans with its bite, therefore the Daddy Long Legs venom must be as powerful or more powerful than Red Back venom. In fact the Daddy Long Legs uses a different technique to kill and eat Red Backs – its long legs enable it from a distance to tangle the Red Back in a web. Once restrained, the Daddy Long Legs can approach and bite the Red Back multiple times to finally render it deceased! Ain’t the spider world grand?

There are around 60 species of ‘Daddy Long Legs’ spiders in Australia, some are endemic, many have been introduced, and the number of described species is being enlarged as more study is done.

Daddy Long Legs, Pholcid sp, construct a messy, irregular-shaped web in which they hang upside down waiting for their prey. Usually, they choose an undisturbed corner of our homes, such as high corners of the ceiling, roof spaces or attics, cellars (sometimes called Cellar Spiders).

They eat insects and sometimes invade the web of other spiders to eat their captured prey. They are known to eat Red Backs, Huntsman and House Spiders.

All hail, Daddy Long Legs, welcome in my place!

PS: there are plenty of videos and articles online about this spider – worth exploring.

Garden Soldier Fly

This common garden insect likes to rest on the leaves of our Bay Laurel.

Soldier Flies belong to the very large Stratiomyidae family of which world-wide there are probably 3,000 species. Although they look like a wasp, they are a fly, with only one pair of wings.

The Garden Soldier Fly (I think), Exaireta spinigera, (probably), is endemic to Australia but has been introduced to many places around the world.

Decaying organic matter, leaf litter and fallen bark are the favoured habitat for the larvae. It is assumed the food sources for the adult fly are pollen and nectar, although some references suggest the adult phase is short-lived and is focussed entirely on procreation.

Using its forelegs to clean the compound eyes …

Using the hind legs to keep the wings in good working order …

Robber Fly

Robber Flies, sometimes called Assassin Flies, belong to the Asilidae family of insects and there are many species. They are large, bristly flies (flies have just one pair of functioning wings) that are fearsome predators of other insects which they mostly capture in flight. They also prey on spiders and ants. Most Robber Fly species are distinguished by their robust build, large eyes, and a hairy ‘moustache’.

Robber Flies inhabit urban parks and gardens, woodlands, and forests – wherever there are other insects and spiders to feed on.

They capture their prey with their hairy legs and strong claws. They use their large proboscis to inject the victim with a toxin and an enzyme that dissolves its innards. After ingesting the meal, there is only the exoskeleton of the prey left behind.

Because Robber Flies often take leaf-eating and sap-sucking insects for prey, they help keep populations of these pest species under control. Some references suggest they can bite us humans if they are mishandled, but they do not seek us out like blowflies and mosquitoes.

Trigger Plant

A Grass Trigger Plant 'meadow' on the slopes of Mt Baw Baw

The Trigger Plant, or more correctly, Grass Trigger Plant, Stylidium graminifolium, is a fascinating Australian endemic plant that in our district grows on the Baw Baw Plateau, behind the sand dunes of Westernport Bay and Bass Coast, and all sorts of places in between. It seems to like gravelly-sandy soils in open woodlands and heathlands. At certain times, some locations are awash with the pink flower heads and sometimes you can fluke an occasional white one.

The most ‘fascinating’ characteristic of the Trigger Plant is the way it has evolved to achieve pollination. Under the petals of the flower is a sensitive column that has a pollen ‘club’ attached to its end. When an insect is attracted to the nectar in the throat of the flower, the column is ‘triggered’ to rapidly spring upwards and ‘club’ the insect, covering it with pollen. The insect flies on to the next flower and spreads the pollen and the process is repeated.

A further fascination of this amazing plant is that some glandular hairs under the flower can trap insects giving rise to the argument that the plant may in part be carnivorous.

Grass Trigger Plants are readily cultivated. They have a long flowering period and make a perfect wildflower addition to any native garden.

What’s not to like?

Australian Admiral

The Australian Admiral butterfly, or Yellow Admiral, or just Admiral, Vanessa itea, is generally one of the first butterflies to appear in this district as the weather warms up a bit.

Admirals are a mostly fast-moving handsome species and are easy to identify among the range of ‘brown’ butterflies we have in southern Victoria. They tend to inhabit more open ground on the edges of woodlands, home gardens, parklands, etc.

Vanessa itea is endemic to Australia and New Zealand and there is a close relative, the Red Admiral, that is found in Europe, Africa and America.

Australian Admirals often feed facing down and can be found sometimes on the trunks of trees lapping on oozing sap. Adults are good pollinators of course as they visit a wide range of flowering shrubs seeking their dose of nectar.

The favoured host plant for the larvae is the Native Pellitory or Shade Nettle, Parietaria sp.

Long-billed Corella

A couple of long-bills visited my garden again today. As usual, they were amongst a small flock of Little Corellas that ‘drop in’ every now and then and resist my attempts at persuading them to evacuate the premises due to their usual destructive and noisy behaviours.

Long-billed Corella

‘Corella’ is thought to have indigenous origins but exactly from which language is not certain. ‘Garala’ from Wiradjuri is most likely, but ‘garila’ and ‘caralla’ are also quoted in historical references.

The Long-billed Corella, Cacatua tenuirostris, has adapted well to agricultural and semi-urban environments, particularly in western Victoria where they became, and still are in some places, significant pests around farms and other rural properties. Anecdotally they are steadily spreading this side of Melbourne.

Long-billed Corella - Birdata

That long upper mandible is used to dig for roots and bulbs. It isn’t hard to appreciate the damage that could be done to crops, orchards, even hard surfaces like outdoor furniture, with such a tool. There are many records of property owners trying to solve that problem by culling the birds by various means (careful – distressing images).

Corella numbers can fluctuate wildly according to conditions. If you think the flocks of Little Corellas in West Gippsland are of concern, have sympathy for some residents in WA in 1878 who estimated a flock size of 50,000 birds!

Little Corella                                           Long-billed Corella

In the 1970’s, in some parts of its range where their numbers were of concern, Long-billed Corellas were ‘officially’ trapped and sold to the pet trade. Ultimately this had the effect of birds being released, deliberately or accidentally, into new areas. Long-billed Corellas are long-lived with life-spans greater than 20 years. Many caged birds outlived their owners.

There are numerous references by federal, state, and local government agencies that provide advice on ‘Cockatoo, corella and galah wildlife management methods’, their efficacy notwithstanding.